I was out walking,
I was out walking,
Although in my head I was a lifetime away
I was not really so very far from home.
It was supposed to be spring
But an anxious wind blew
With a reminder of changing climes,
Dead leaves fell in a spiral of confusion
Some were uplifted
Perhaps to find a way to reconnect
With their companions
Looking for another lease on life.
An Ibis jumped back startled
When a big black Crow,
Taking a shine to the overflow
From the waste bin
Stole a feather from the awkward bird’s wing.
The Ibis never looked at home
Wherever it washed up
I wondered at the motive of the Crow,
Hierarchy is a social phenomenon
It applies across species
And man is supposed to occupy the topmost spot
At least so said the theory of evolution
But I felt less than competent
To intercede,
Like as not the Crow would see me off
Before I could chastise it.
A fluffy Labradoodle slipped its lead and charged
Eyes wild, a mane of domesticated fur
Bowling along, slipping and sliding
As the birds simply skipped away,
The Crow into a tree
The Ibis onto the bin,
Stealing a momentary march
Along with a torn packet of cheeseballs.
Its crooked beak buried in “E” numbers,
Firing him up with an excess of agitation.
He took off, in lumbering flight,
As the Crow drifted back down to the bin,
Peaked in
And pulled out a chicken nugget.
Crows might be clever
But they don’t do irony
And the glint in his eyes spoke of happiness
Without a hint of guilt.
The dog was spent,
Worn out with his exertion
Tongue lolling, swollen belly heaving,
His owner jogged up to take control
I held his dog by its copious ruff until the lead
Was reattached.
His nose was wet and warm,
The owner too looked wet and warm
Very flushed and out of shape,
Tongue lolling, swollen belly heaving,
A six-pack away from a heart attack
Was my guess.
But I was back and on the move
Stepping over a Plover
A little indignant at being ignored
After all, he was on sentry duty,
A guardian of his family
A task he took seriously
And was good at.
I saw the nest
With its clutch of eggs
And avoided an unintended genocide
It was the least that I could do,
Before turning aside
In the direction of home
Feeling less of a stranger
Adrift in a wasteland,
And more of a Darwinian explorer
Learning something new,
Every single day.